Parking Assist failure in ice

[dalepres]

We had a very minor ice storm today, ice blowing in from the northwest. Where I park for work, the front-left corner of my truck faces northwest so the truck had a thin, perhaps 1/8-inch, layer of ice on just that corner.

When I started to pull out, the parking assist warning for front-left kept going off. After several seconds, there was a message on the dash stating that front parking assist was not available. I thought it was going to be a trip to the dealer as it continued to do the same thing any time I stopped or started and parking assist engaged. The sound, set on medium, was unbearable and would have made the truck undrivable at slow speed had I not figured out how to turn the volume to low volume. Then it was barely tolerable. Turning the sound off is not an option, unfortunately.

When I got to my first stop on the way home, I checked to see if I could find the problem. I found that there was just a small amount of ice, a chip about 1/8-inch thick, 1/4-inch diameter stuck to the front-facing sensor. Though the rest of the corner had that thin sheet of ice, the sensors were surprisingly, other than that small chip, free of ice. I knocked that bit loose and tested and had no further issue with the sensor.

So, long setup, but the question is, does anyone else have a problem of their parking assist not working in ice or snow? Even in Oklahoma we will have more ice than this before winter's over - perhaps before this week is over. So for northerners, it seems that parking assist is a fair-weather-only feature.

 

[brucie]

I thought I have park assist, but maybe I don't. I have toggle switches at the bottom of my center dash that turn on and off the front and back sensors. You have to be able to turn off those sensors. What if you are towing a trailer? I turn all my sensors off when I tow and maybe even the vehicle does that for me. I can't figure that out because I have only towed twice and one time all my sensors seemed to magically get turned off, but the other time, I had to manually turn them off. I suppose I could leave the front sensors on, but I don't. I would think working in ice or snow would be a problem for anyone. The manual clearly states you need to keep ice and snow off of them.

 

[Ramit530]

They are not heated sensors unfortunately, and they are not the only vehicles that have an issue when ice forms on them. As for trailering, the rear sensors should disable when a trailer is plugged in.

 

[brucie]

They are not heated sensors unfortunately, and they are not the only vehicles that have an issue when ice forms on them. As for trailering, the rear sensors should disable when a trailer is plugged in.

Thanks. Didn't mean t step on the OP's question. I need to make sure that auto-turnoff feature is working correctly because I doubt it is. Not sure why the OP can't turn off the sensors.

 

[Stavo]

The sensors will disable themselves after a few moments and a message on the dash. In Chicago, just something you learn to deal with when you're cleaning snow off the windshield, smack the bumper a few times to clear the sensors and wipe off the cameras.

In towing with the rear sensors, the only time I've had to manually turn them off is when the trailer is not connected and I have the hitch in. Otherwise it has sensed the trailer and disabled the rear sensors.

 

[dalepres]

I've had rear sensors on my last 3 vehicles and never had this problem but this kind of ice is rare here and I can't say for sure if they've been iced up like this. At least I know now it's not me and not just my truck. I'll take it as a limitation of the technology.

 

[Daybreak]

eh, a limitation of mother nature.

Would that be the same as the camera view doesn't look clear? wipe off the cameras lens and it all clear again. magic.

 

[AFF]

Yeah my wifes Silverado has the same issue with ice on the sensors.

 

[Burn'n Oil]

Some minivans, SUVs and Crossovers are notorious for this in the snow. The negative pressure at the back of these vehicles vacuums the road of moisture and snow and quickly paints the junk onto the back of the vehicles, which renders the sensors inoperable in short order.

 

[dalepres]

eh, a limitation of mother nature.

Would that be the same as the camera view doesn't look clear? wipe off the cameras lens and it all clear again. magic.

Haha. I suppose so. But there is technology, probably not that we can afford, that can do the job even in ice and snow so it is a technology limitation. Or maybe a money limitation.

The camera thing, on the other hand, can't be blamed on mother nature, either. I'm embarrassed to admit that my Honda Pilot backup camera had awful picture quality - until I wiped the lens... I'd love to blame mother nature but I kinda have to own that myself.